Mutter paratha (Peas stuffed Indian Flatbread)

The charm of winter can be seen in the local markets, with veggies and fruits in vibrant colours on the carts.

Fresh green peas, being a very versatile vegetable, are used in preparations in every state of India with not much difference in taste and masalas. My mutter paratha recipe is inspired by our very own Bengali motor shootir kochuri. Kochuri means stuffed deep fried bread.To give it a healthy twist, I made parathas instead which are made on a gridle pan with much less oil or ghee.I made the stuffing in the microwave  and this goes for both kochuri as well as paratha.
Makes 8 parathas

​Kaali Daal( Whole urad daal cooked with spices)

Kaali Daal

This Indian delicacy that belongs  typically to the Northern region of India has made its way into the hearts of millions of Indians. This Daal is included in almost all menu lists ranging from restaurants to parties to get-togethers because of its  versatility to go with any type of bread and rice. I, personally feel this is a very close cousin of black beans both tastewise and from the nutrition point of view.Having learnt to make this from two of my close Punjabi friends 20 years ago, I have been making this once or even twice every month. I assure you that once you’ve mastered the art of cooking this, there will be no looking back. The gelatinous nature of this lentil makes the gravy so satiny and smooth and once cooked,stays for quite long in the fridge.

Serves 6

​Pumpkin Stems Cooked in Mustard paste( Kumro shaager chorchori)

This vegetarian dish is very easy and fast to cook and the love of this simple yet rustic dish made me sow a few pumpkin seeds in my pot at home. In a few days, a beautiful pumpkin plant came up and believe me when I say it grows really fast. Now I can have this dish whenever I want, my kids aren’t so keen on it, though. It is a rustic dish, so we dont need any particular set of veggies.Just throw in whatever you want to cook with. Anyway, the ingredients mentioned below are what I have used in this recipe. I would advise you to cook this in an iron skillet or wok to get maximum flavour.

My Mustard Paste

This comes handy in making fish preparations mostly in Bengali dishes.

Potatoes cooked in poppy seed paste( Aloo Posto)

There are very less dishes where poppy seed is used as the main ingredient.But, its not new for Bengalis.For us, whenever we want something very tasty and comforting we cook with poppy seed paste.Potato can be replaced by pointed gourd or even ridge gourd.It tastes as good.We combine onions with potatoes at times.

Red Bell Pepper Pesto

Red Bell Pepper Pesto

Today I whipped up a very tasty and creamy pesto. Coloured bell peppers are in season now and you can just grill a few and freeze it and can whip this pesto whenever required.